What Happen To Me?
by streetspectre.dcon
Summary: This is my very first Assassin's Creed story, so please forgive any error's you might see. Feel free to leave comment's suggestions and opinion's. A young girl by the of name Sophia get's sent back to help Altair and Malik become friend's and help them on their mission's will she succeed or will she fail? Will they find love along the way? {Altair&OC&Malik}
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_**What Happened to Me?**_

**Author's Note: **This is my very first Assassin's Creed story, so please NO flames-they will be ignored and deleted. But I do welcome opinions, suggestions and ideas. So relax and enjoy the story.

**Disclaimer**: _I do __NOT __own Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft does. Although, I do wish I owned Assassin's Creed's Altair, Ezio and Arno. They're all very good looking. So now, without further ado, on with the story._

There was a young woman, who appeared to be no older than eighteen. Her heart shaped face was sweet in appearance, with luscious, kissable lips that caught everyone's eye. Her long reddish blonde hair reached down to her lower back, which spoke for its length, considering she was 5'5'' or 5'6'. She had gray eyes that shined with the horror she had seen in her young life. She had no friends and no family, and lived in a one bedroom flat.

One day, she had decided to visit a local museum in France, which held the most beautiful art work as well as some of the best statues that most of the world has never seen. As she walked through the quiet museum, she would stop and stare at the beautiful paintings and gaze at some of the statues that she had seen along the way. As she passed all the other beautiful art work and crafted statues, she came across a golden sphere that started to glow dimly. She felt the need to walk up to it-to touch it. As she got closer to it, it started to glow brighter than before. She brought her arm up, trying to block out the light. As she did so, a feminine voice rang out within her mind.

_Back...to the year eleven ninety one… a man awaits you. He will teach you a great many things as you will in turn, teach him to love and care for other people._

The breath was instantly knocked out of her lungs and darkness crept in on the corner of her vision, overtaking her sight.She welcomed the darkness with open arms as she passed out, not knowing what was happening around her as she was transported back in time-to an era where women were forced to do mundane work, such as take care of the children and house and were treated like dirt.

When she came to, she noticed that she was no longer at the museum. The sharp scent of pine assaulted her senses and as she looked around, she realized she was surrounded by them. The dirt floor of the forest lay beneath her, the grittiness of it harsh and abrasive on her skin. As she looked around, she noticed it was early dawn and the sun was slowly rising above the trees.

She got up, dusting herself off, and she scanned her immediate surroundings for someone to help her. She could hear the sounds of metal clashing together and the sounds of men grunting as they fought, not sure what to make of the noise. She knew she had to investigate.

As she came to the scene, she saw five burly men who were dressed in tattered rags, surrounding a man wearing long white robes. The hood was pulled up to hide his face and the tip of the hood came down to a point in front of his eyes, shielding them from everyone around him. He looked as if he were beginning to get exhausted from the fight.

Desperate to aid the man in white, she did the first thing that came to mind and shouted, "Hey! Over here!"

As soon as the words left her lips, the five men whipped their heads towards her. The man in white was forgotten-which was her goal- and the quintet advanced towards her, stalking her as if she were their new prey.

As they advanced towards her, the leers on their faces twisted their expressions into something disgusting. Her instincts kicked in, more flight than fight, and she hastily turned away from the men, stumbling as she sprinted farther into the forest to get away from them.

She knew the men wanted to take something from her that she could never get back. Her heart pounded at the thought, at the mental image of what would happen if they caught her. Their heavy footfalls sounded on the dirt behind her, they were too close. She pushed her legs to run faster, her breath escaping from her mouth in harsh bursts. Her muscles screamed in agony at her frantic attempt to escape. She knew she had to be faster than them to get away.

One of the men called to her, "Stop whore! We only want to talk!"

She shook her in disbelief- as if she would fall for such a stupid trick. She just hoped the man clad in white would save her from the sick, perverted men. She continued to run, her legs aching at the prolonged use. The men's pounding footsteps were closer now and she quickly clambered up the nearest tree, grasping at the branches to get higher. She jumped from branch to branch and noticed that there were now three sets of footsteps, not five.

As she remained perched in the tree, hidden by the branches, she heard the pairs of footsteps drop off, one by one. When she heard only one set of steps remaining, she saw the man they belonged to emerge into the clearing at the foot of the tree trunk.

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees, clutching at his neck-blood ran in rivulets down his chest. She jumped from the tree branches and approached the dying man slowly, her expression darkened by the glare that haunted her eyes. She reached out and put her finger to his chest, pushing him back until he landed on the ground. She watched him take his last dying breath, and was relieved to know there were less men like him in the world now.

After she forced the man onto his back, she felt the sting of a blade against her neck, its cold kiss chilling her to her bones, almost as if it were promising death to her. She turned and followed the length of the blade to the hand that held it, the hand that belonged to the man clad in white. He was glaring at her, but she couldn't see his eyes that were mostly hidden by his hood.

She gulped as he took a step towards her.

"Tell me who you are and where you come from, girl," the man in white demanded, as he took another step towards her, his cold and calculating eyes pinning her to the spot.

"I'm Sophia, and I honestly have no idea where I am. One minute, I was walking through a museum looking at some paintings and statues, when a golden sphere started to glow brightly. I covered my eyes, trying to block out the light and ended up passing out. When I came to, I heard sword fighting and I knew I had to help. Well, the rest you know."

She looked at him, knowing he was still suspicious of her due to the tight line that his lips had formed. She truly couldn't blame him for feeling that way.

The man continued to watch the girl, assessing her intently. When he accessed his eagle vision, she shone blue and though he knew that meant she could be somewhat trusted, he knew that it wasn't enough for him to fully drop his guard.

"What is your purpose of being here, girl?" he asked, watching her fully.

"I don't know. I heard a voice tell me that I needed to be here," she said, looking away, not able to look him in the eyes feeling nervous with his piercing gaze.

He growled when she didn't answer him fully.

"I know you're hiding something, and I'll get the answer out of you yet. But for now, you'll be coming with me. I need to speak with my master, I'm sure he'll know what to do with you," he stated, and grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her along with him as they returned to the camp.

She let herself get pulled along, knowing it would be pointless to fight the man.

"Could you at least tell me your name?" Sophia asked, walking beside him.

"My name, is none of your concern girl. It would be wise to keep quiet until we reach Masyaf. We will see what Al Mualim has planned for your life," he said, glancing over at her.

She sighed, but said nothing more. She couldn't stop the fear that raced through her heart at the thought of life ending, for simply meeting this man. It was unfair to be judged so harshly, considering she'd helped the man defeat five thugs who had wished to kill him.

They continued to walk, the sun high in the sky showing it was well close to noon. They reached some gates that were tall with wooden points held together by strong ropes.

"Welcome back brother, I take it you were successful?" he smirked, looking the girl over shrewdly.

Sophia barely suppressed the shudder that ran down her spine, as she felt the guard's eyes roam over her barely clothed body.

"Yes it was, but the girl is off limits. She witnessed the assassination, thus she will be taken to Al Mualim," he said as he noticed the guard's eyes roaming the girl's body.

"As always Altair, you managed to mess everything up again," the guard said as he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

Sophia looked at her savior, shocked to learn his name so suddenly from the leering guard.

Altair glared at the guard and started pulling Sophia further along the path into the fortress, tired of dealing with the novice.

She didn't say anything for fear of angering him further. She could tell he was even more deadly than she'd originally thought, considering all the weapons he had tied to his body.

Altair glared at her when he noticed that she was staring at him.

"What?" he growled, picking up his pace even more.

"Is that your name?" Sophia asked, looking up ahead seeing the fortress loom over her, as if it were trying to welcome her to a possible death or something worse. She felt scared but at the same time she felt at peace of being near the fortress that which held her fate.

"Yes it is, satisfied now?" Altair asked, while glaring at anyone who dared to get close to them.

As they headed for the library, Sophia remained silent. She could feel the anger coming off of him in waves, and knew it was wiser to keep quiet.

They entered the library and Sophia saw a man who looked to be in his early fifties and wore black robes, looking rather intimidating with a dark and solemn look in his eyes.

"Altair, was a your mission a success? How did you fare?" Al Mualim asked, as he walked around the desk.

He stood before the desk, his arms crossed behind him, his gaze focused on Sophia. She kept her eyes down in respect, choosing to remain silent for now.

"It was a success Master, but on my way back..." Altair said, and pointed at the girl dressed in a white hoodie and blue jeans-strange clothing that they had never seen before.

Al Mualim nodded, looking the girl over.

"Tell me, girl. Where do you come from and what is your name?" Al Mualim stated, his arms folded behind his back.

"I am from the year twenty fifteen, sir, and my name is Sophia," she said, her tone quiet in reverence, trying not to offend. She knew he could have her killed with just a flick of his wrist.

"Can you prove it?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

"Of course sir, I have a phone and my driver's license on me," she said, handing them to him slowly, hesitantly, to show him that she was indeed telling the truth. He took them, looking at them in amazement because he had never before seen something like them.

"Altair, you look as if you are hiding something from me," Al Mualim stated, placing the card and device on his desk.

"Master, this girl knows how to avoid getting captured. She managed to jump from tree branch to tree branch, with no effort. I truly believe that she would make an excellent assassin. You could test her by having her try the leap of faith, to see if she could it. And if she can, I will teach her the ropes of how to be a true Assassin," Altair explained, his voice rising in eagerness.

Al Mualim looked at Sophia, analyzing her for any hidden skills that could be useful.

"I believe you could be right Altair. Have her take the leap of faith and we will go from there," Al Mualim said, turning to face the desk and giving them a clear dismissal.

Sophia looked at Altair, not sure what to do and she stumbled a bit as she rushed to follow Altair's example, not wanting to offend Al Mualim.

"I won't let you down Master, nor will I fail you," Sophia said, bowing at waist again, and followed Altair out of the library.

Altair and Sophia, climbed up the tower.

"How would you like me to do this?" Sophia asked, glancing at Altair.

"Once you're at the edge, you will face away from me and you will spread your arms out like that of an eagle. You will flip midair and you should land on your back, in a pile of hay at the bottom," Altair said, his arms crossed over his chest.

Sophia didn't say anything, but nodded her head in understanding. As she walked to the edge, she missed a look of surprise on Altair's face. He was expecting her to fight him on jumping from such a high place. In all his life, he had never met a female who wasn't afraid of heights.

He watched as she kept her back to him, her arms spread out to the side as he had instructed. She jumped off the edge, her eyes closed, a small smile on her lips. He walked to the edge, watching her land safely in the pile of hay.

She got up, dusting herself off and moved out of the way, knowing Altair was jumping off the edge as well. She watched him come out of the hay and he walked over to her.

"I must say, I'm impressed. Not many would willingly do this-not without showing some kind of fear. Yet you did the leap of faith with a smile on your face," he said, a smirk on his lips.

"Well, unlike others, I am not scared of heights. In fact, I love the feeling of the wind around me. When I jumped, it felt amazing. I wouldn't mind doing it again," Sophia said, a sardonic grin on her lips.

Altair nodded and said, "Well, let's go see Al Mualim so he can know how well you did."

Sophia sighed, but nodded. She didn't want to see the master again, because she was afraid of the fact that he could order to have her killed in a split second. But if she wanted to stay alive, she would have to put up with the old man.

"Let's go and find out if I live or not," Sophia said, walking ahead of Altair.

All she wanted to do was get something to eat, bathe and get some much needed sleep. Altair stood there with his mouth open, not expecting the girl to be so blunt and honest about her death.

"Are you not afraid of dying?" Altair asked, walking beside her after catching up to her.

"Of course, I am but it's pointless to fight it," she said, looking forward, her head held high and her back straight as she walked to her likely death.

"For a woman, I must admit that I am impressed. Not many would accept their death so easily," Altair said, walking through the halls of the fortress as they headed for the library to speak with Al Mualim.

Altair knocked on the door, waiting to be allowed in.

"Come in," Al Mualim said, standing by the window looking out from his spot by the desk. Altair and Sophia walked into the library. Altair closed the door behind them, both bowing at the waist.

"How did she do on the leap of faith? Was she frightened?" Al Mualim asked, smirking slightly, expecting some kind of remark from the girl.

Sophia only stood there, her face and eyes blank of all emotion. Al Mualim was surprised-not one word from her, and he nodded.

"She did the leap of faith without a trace of fear, as if she enjoyed it. She said it felt like she was truly flying with the eagles," Altair said, his face blank like Sophia's.

"I have to say, I'm impressed girl. All the girls before you were scared of doing the leap of faith. Of course, I would never have allowed them to join the Creed. Yet here you stand, knowing I hold your very life in my hands, and yet you show no fear. Why is that?" Al Mualim asked, wondering why this woman who stood before him was showing no fear whatsoever.

"Master, I was trained at a very young age on how to hold a sword and short blade, as well as hand to hand combat. My father always talked about how I would one day be sent back in time to the year eleven ninety one. I always thought my father was crazy, until one day, some people barged into our home wearing strange clothes that I have never seen before with a strange symbol on their chest. They tried to kill me, calling me an Assassin, but my father stopped them. He told me to run and never look back. I did as he told me, but I couldn't help myself from looking back one last time. I saw them shoot my father, in the chest. I wanted to stop, but my father's words echoed in my head to keep running. I ran until I couldn't run any further and I fell to my knees. I passed out from exhaustion," she explained, her face remaining a blank slate. On the inside, she was crying for her father.

"And what of your mother?" Al Mualim asked, leaning forward in his chair, wanting to know more of the girl's story.

"She died giving birth to me," she said, looking into Al Mualim eyes.

"There's more to your story, isn't there?" he asked.

She nodded and said, "There is, Master."

She knew she could do this and she would honor her father's wishes.

"As I grew up, I continued to train myself. Since I lived in the woods, away from the city, I knew I could train without anyone getting in the way. But I would look back and wonder why I was called an Assassin. I didn't even know what that was at the time. I _still_ don't know what an Assassin is. As far as I know they stay in the shadows and gather information. But as I grew up I remember my father always called me his Desert Rose for some reason. He once told me it's because I love the desert and the feel of the sun on my skin, so he would call me his Desert Rose. When I was really mad, he would call me Desert Storm, since Desert Storms were supposed to be the most feared storms out in the Sahara Desert," she said.

"How did your father know of the Assassins?" Altair demanded, grabbed her arm tightly.

Sophia glared at Altair, yanking her arm back from him.

"How should I know?!" Sophia replied, glaring at Altair.

"Well, it seems as of right now, Sophia here will be joining the Creed as a Novice known as Desert Storm. Altair, you will be training her," Al Mualim said, standing up from his chair behind the desk.

"For now, she needs some food and rest. We will continue the story another time. Now go, and prepare for a long day tomorrow Novice Sophia-or should I now call you Desert Storm," Al Mualim stated.

Sophia stood there in complete shock for a couple of minutes. She quickly shook her head, in an attempt to rid herself of the shock and bowed at the waist.

"Thank you Master, you won't regret this," Sophia said, standing tall and proud, a smug grin on her lips as she glanced at Altair, who looked to be frozen to the spot.

After a few minutes, Altair shook his head in disbelief.

"Master, you can't be serious. I can't train this girl,'' he said.

Al Mualim shot out of his chair, glaring at Altair.

"You dare question me?" he demanded, glaring harshly at Altair.

"No, Master, I would never question you," Altair apologized, bowing quickly.

"Good. Desert Storm will need some novice robes before tomorrow but for now, she needs food and rest. You will be begin her training at first light," Al Mualim instructed.

**Author's note: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed reading the chapter. Chapter 2 should be just as good. Please, NO flames they will be deleted.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Is This Really Happening?...**

**Chapter 2**

**Author's Note: **Well I did it, Chapter 2 is now here and finished. I welcome comments, ideas, and suggestions as well as opinions. Please enjoy the story.

**Disclaimers: **I do **NOT **own Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft does, Now without further ado on with the story.

Altair took Sophia to the hall, so she could get some food. Altair knew he would have his hands full training the novice. He just hoped she wouldn't complain about the training he was planning to put her through. He would make her see she wasn't meant to be an Assassin.

"Novice, hurry up. We have a long day ahead of us in training tomorrow. We begin at sun rise," Altair growled from his spot by the door.

Everyone looked between Desert Storm and Altair, eyeing her with pity, knowing the novice was in for hell.

"You're new here, aren't you?" a man said, sitting down beside her. She turned her head slightly to look at him.

"Yes I am, but who are you?" Sophia asked.

"Oh how rude of me. I am name is?" Malik asked, looking at her fully.

"I'm Desert Storm, Altair is training me," She said, making sure her hood covered her face. She wasn't sure how Malik would take to a women being an Assassin.

"Well good luck if Altair is training you, you'll need it,"Malik said, his voice straining in anger and went back to his food.

She stared at him, surprised to hear such vehemence in his tone. "Do you not like him?" she asked, turning away from him, inspecting the bread that lay in front her, not feeling hungry anymore.

"You could say that, Novice. All I can say is good luck -you'll need it," Malik said bitterly, finishing his food and getting up to leave. As he stood, he gave her shoulder a firm squeeze, and left the hall. He glared intensely at Altair as he passed him.

Desert Storm watched Malik walk out of the room, sighing heavily. She got up and grabbed the bread, for a later time. She walked over to Altair, noticing that he was now glaring at her instead of Malik.

"Ready Novice?" Altair asked, his gaze drilling into her.

"Yes I am. I really do need some rest," she stated, walking to the door while she avoided looking into his eyes. She couldn't help but wonder what he looked like without his hood on-considering he never removed it.

They walked down the halls to where their rooms were. Altair stopped at one of many doors that lined the hallway and pushed it open, waving his hand towards the interior.

"This will be your room, mine is next door. Be ready by sun up, we will begin your training after breakfast," Altair said, as he opened the door beside her. Desert Storm sighed, shaking her head she walked into her room and closed hers as well.

The room's stone walls gave it an eerie and disconnected feeling- the masonry was chilly and she could feel it even through her sneakers. It was sparsely decorated, but then again, that was normal for the era. A bed rested against the far wall, its rickety wooden posts barely able to hold its weight up. Worn sheets were tossed on top of the bed and Sophia cringed in disgust.

A single candle, atop the desk in the opposite corner, illuminated the room with a soft glow and she smiled fondly, glad for the familiar sensation. She gave a small sigh as she walked over to bed looking at it in disgust and wondered if had even been cleaned or not.

She grabbed the sheets, hoping to make the bed and room a little more cleaner than it was when she first walked in. But for now, she decided to only make the bed and deal with the rest later. After all, she knew she was in for one hell of training session with Altair.

If Malik was right, she would need sheer luck just to get past the first day. She sighed as she fixed the bed, lost in her thoughts about what would happen if everyone knew she was a woman who was training to become an Assassin-training to become a Novice at that.

Maybe she could get Malik to help her along the way and not always have Altair train her. Finally, she sat down on the bed, resting her elbows on her knees, as she looked around the room.

_Man, I still need to dust if I'm going to be staying here for the long run,_ she thought to herself.

She quickly shook her head, laying back with her arms folded behind her head, as she stared up at the ceiling in deep thought. She couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring when she began her training with Altair. She knew she would be as good as the rest of them and had no worries, but something still didn't sit right since meeting the old man.

It felt like he was hiding something, something huge.

She just had no idea what it was. She closed her eyes, falling into a light sleep, feeling that Altair would either spring a trick on her or plan something unusual on her. She awoke before the sun kissed the horizon, sitting up on her bed, and she stretched her arms upwards, giving a small moan as she felt her back pop.

She looked around the room, shaking her head in disgust once more. She got up, dusting herself off, and walked over to the door. She opened it and stepped out, looking up and down the hall. It was empty still since it was so early, the entire fortress was cloaked in silence

She walked over to the Altair's door and knocked. His door swung open unexpectedly and she blushed, quickly averting her eyes. He had answered it half-naked.

"So you're awake Novice, I have to say I'm impressed. I didn't think you would be up this early," Altair said, as a small snort filled with disdain came from him.

She glared at him and asked, "Well are we going to train? Because if we are, you better put on some clothes."

She kept her eyes focused on his, avoiding looking anywhere else. She'd already seen him far too exposed.

"Yes we will be, I just need to finish getting ready," Altair said, shutting the door in her face, a sly grin in place. She snorted and took a step back, leaning next to the door. Her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Altair to finish.

She looked up at the ceiling and wondered what the training would be like, whenever they got around to it. His door finally opened and Altair, now fully dressed, walked out.

"Finally ready, I see," She said, teasingly, not sure what to make of the man who clearly wanted to be anywhere but there and stuck training her.

Altair glared at her before turning away and walking down towards the main hall, where breakfast was being served. Desert Storm followed behind, glaring heatedly at the back of his head.

"You do realize I still need my robes," she said in much disdain.

"I am well aware of that Novice, we will get the robes after we have eaten," he muttered, walking into the hall and grabbing an apple, as well as some water.

"Eat quickly, we have much to do before lunch," Altair stated, taking a bite of his apple.

As she ate, she spotted Malik walking into the hall, and a small smile graced her lips as he walked over to her.

"Ah Desert Storm. Nice to see you again," Malik said, a slight grin on his lips. He reached for a small roll, tearing it into small pieces and chewing on them silently, as he stood apart from Altair.

"Like wise Malik, how are you this morning?" Desert Storm asked,

"Not too bad, I slept well. And you?" Malik inquired, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.

He noticed he was still unable to fully see her face. He wondered why her hood was always up; they were among brothers and should be able to trust each other.

"Pretty good, for being my first night here," Desert Storm said, noticing that he was still staring at her, trying to see her face.

She quickly looked away-she didn't want him seeing her face just yet.

Malik looked ahead and asked, "Where do you come from, if you don't mind me asking?"

She gulped, not sure what to say, and looked to Altair for help.

"Let's go Novice, I want to get this done and over with," Altair said in disdain, throwing the apple core away and walking out.

Sophia sighed heavily, feeling Malik squeeze her shoulder in reassurance. She gave him a small nod and hurried to catch up with Altair, seeing that he had already made it to the training ground.

She ran up to him, barely even panting, once she stood before him. She stared into his eyes, waiting to see what he would do first.

"First, we need to get your novice robes, then we will train. Follow me," he said, traipsing off to another part of the grounds, not particularly caring if she followed him. She shook her head and hurried after him.

He handed the white robes to her and said, "Go change, then come back here once you're in your robes. We will begin your training then."

She nodded and headed off to an empty room, hastily stripping and changing into her robes. She couldn't help feeling excited to start her training. She exited the room in her robes, a small smile on her lips, as she walked over to Altair. She felt _ready_ to finally begin learning.

Before she knew it, a wooden stick was flying towards her face. She reached up reflexively and caught it in her hand as Altair rushed towards her. The next thing she was aware of, was Altair striking her. She jumped backwards smoothly, dodging his attack perfectly, and swiftly struck him back.

She gazed up at him, her eyebrows furrowed and her stare intense, as their wooden swords clashed against each other. As they fought, they hardly noticed the others gathering around the grounds, outside the fence that confined them. They were so focused on gaining the upper hand on each other.

As they continued to find weak spots in each other's defenses, Desert Storm never noticed the one person who was watching her especially closely, as they fought.

Malik stood there, observing her, as she fought against Altair. He had no idea she could wield a sword so well. Her movements were incredibly natural, as if she had done this her entire life. The wooden sword worked as an extension of her arm, and her feet gracefully stepped around the ring, never once faltering in her movements. As he watched her closely, he had a hard time discerning if she was truly a female or a male. His heart raced as she narrowly dodged a few close calls.

Desert Storm stopped long enough to catch her breath, feeling sweat drip down her forehead as she watched Altair closely. She couldn't risk looking away from him, knowing he would likely pull some kind of trick. Altair glared at her, not expecting her to do better than him. He decided that it was time to pull out one of his last tricks and jumped in the air, using the sun to blind the woman. He was hoping to gain the advantage he needed to end this battle.

Because of the sun, she didn't see him until it was too late, and he brought his sword down and hit her in the shoulder, forcing Desert Storm to her knees. She narrowed her eyes up at him in irritation. It was one thing to be bested by your teacher, but to know that she'd been tricked by something so unoriginal-it made her grit her teeth in frustration at herself.

"Admit defeat and I will let you rise, Novice," Altair said, glaring down at the girl.

She snarled at him and hung her head in defeat.

"I yield," she muttered angrily, looking up at him from under her lashes..

Altair gave her a sly grin, taking a couple steps back, letting her get off the ground. She got up, brushing the dust and grime off of her pant's and she narrowed her eyes once more, before walking away from Altair. She was so caught up in rehashing their battle that she didn't notice there was someone following her. Altair watched the man with hawk-like eyes as he trailed after Desert Storm, suspicion written all over his face.

She sat down and sighed heavily, as she ran a hand down her face.

Her mind was clouded with thoughts of Altair. In addition to his little trick with the sun, her thoughts were probably equally at fault for causing her to lose the battle. All she could see, were images of his bare chest and his incredibly chiseled jaw. She'd been caught off guard when he'd come out of his room like that earlier and found it difficult to shake the visuals.

It didn't help that he also had an incredibly deep, rumbling voice. Every time he spoke, whether it was in disdain or sarcasm-considering she'd never heard him say anything while he was happy-shivers ran down her spine at the huskiness of his tone.

She closed her eyes and shook her head again, trying to rid herself of those thoughts.

She knew it would do her no good. As she reflected on her training, she felt someone sit down next to her. She looked up and saw Malik.

She wrung her hands together, unsure of why he'd come to find her so soon after they'd spoken this morning. She made sure she kept her face hidden from him when she asked, "What brings you here Malik?"

"Where did you learn to fight so well?" He asked, glancing sideways at her.

"My father taught from a very young age, how to defend myself, in case I ever needed to."

She looked up at him a small smile on her lips as she stared into his eyes, only now noticing their golden color that reminded her of the most beautiful topaz gems

"You are incredibly strong, both inside and out. How unexpected…" he murmured under his breath, as he stared intensely at her.

He leaned in slowly, tentatively, and she closed her eyes expectantly. His warm breath feathered across her lips, letting her taste his sweet scent. She gripped the stone underneath her tightly, and she felt his lips press gently against hers...

**Author's note: well I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please tell me how I did.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Triangle**

**Chapter 3**

**Author's Note: **What will happen to Sophia now? Will Altair continue to be a jerk, or will he learn to let Sophia into his heart? Or will he push her into the arms of Malik? Or will they both fall for her at the same time? Only time will tell…..

**Disclaimers: **I do **NOT **Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft does. Now without further ado on with the story… Enjoy…..

Desert Storm had returned to her room after a long day of training with Altair, her thoughts on Malik. A small smile graced her lips as she laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as the sun set behind the mountains. As her thoughts remained on Malik and his sweet kiss, she couldn't help but smile more as she brought her fingers to her lips, remembering how Malik's felt on hers. She could tell Malik was sweet and caring, but could be just as deadly as the others when the time came.

Her thoughts continued to drift more towards Malik and the kiss they shared, until she heard someone banging at her door.

"Novice, open up right now!" Altair yelled, anger clear in his voice, ready to break the door down and demand answers.

She groaned as she sat up, running a hand down her face as she got up, walking over to the door. When she opened it, she saw Altair glaring heatedly at her. She took a step back, not used to seeing Altair this angry before.

"What do you want now, Altair?" she sneered at him, not liking the fact that he came to her room and almost barged in.

"What's going on between you and Malik?" he demanded, not liking the fact that Malik and Desert Storm were getting so close, after her training had only just begun.

She narrowed her eyes at him, not backing down from his intimidating glare. Her arms crossed over her chest as she stood her ground against him. She knew he could fight very well-he had already proven that in the training grounds with just a sword and not any other weapons.

"Why do you care? It's not like we're friends; you're my teacher, nothing more than that. So if you're done being a jerk, I would like to take a nice warm bath and then get some rest for tomorrow's training."

With that, she slammed the door in Altair's face. She sighed, walking over to the window sill and sat down on the edge, gazing out at the landscape. She heard Altair walk away and slam his door, and she shook her head in exasperation.

Not knowing why he was acting this way, she leaned her head back and rested it against the wall. She rested her arms in her lap as she looked out onto the horizon. Her shoulders sagged a little, as she decided against the bath for the time being, opting for rest instead. There would be time in the morning since she woke before the sun was even up.

She rose from the bed, taking off her robes but keeping her trousers and shirt on. She slowly stretched her arms above her head and let out a small moan. She laid back down and looked up at the ceiling, not sure what to do now. She closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep, but her mind kept racing as she thought of Malik and Altair-she just didn't know what to think of them.

Her thoughts continued to race as she laid there, making her toss and turn, unable to shut her mind off. She swiftly rose from the bed and walked over to her door, yanking it open. She looked up and down the hall, making sure no one was milling around, and stepped out of her room. Gently, she closed the door behind her and walked past Altair's room, not wanting to wake him, in case he was still asleep. She shook her head, still not sure what to think of the Assassin.

Her boots resonated on the stone as she made her way to the fountains, in the courtyard. A small smile graced her lips as she sat down and gazed into the water. So many emotions ran through her mind, and she was so absorbed in her thoughts, that she didn't notice someone was coming up behind her.

A hand landed softly on her shoulder and she jumped, her heart racing within her chest as she whipped her head around. She let out a deep breath when she realized it was Malik, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Malik, you scared me half to death."

He chuckled softly. "Forgive me Desert Storm, I did not mean to scare you so. But why are you not resting? If I am right, you have training in the morning?" he asked, noticing she was sitting alone.

"I do, but I can't seem to stop thinking." She glanced away, a light blush creeping across her cheeks when she caught herself looking at Malik's lips.

"What are you thinking about? If you don't mind me asking," he asked curiously.

She turned to face him. "Oh nothing really, just not sure what to think of everything going on," she lied, hoping Malik wouldn't press her for the real reason.

Malik nodded in understanding. "I'm sure with everything that has happened, it is a lot to take in. After all you're from some place different, and not used to how things are done here," Malik answered as he sat down beside her, placing his hand on her shoulder once more, a soft smile on his lips.

She returned the gesture before turning back to face the water. The pair had no idea they were being watched by someone; Altair stood in the shadows, his eyes narrowed in anger at the two who remained unaware of his scrutiny.

"We should return to our rooms so that we can be rested for tomorrow. I have no doubt Altair will be more harsh on you," Malik stated, briskly rising and peering down into her eyes.

She nodded curtly and stood as well, unable to stop the smile that formed on her lips as she stared into Malik's eyes. They left the courtyard and sauntered back into the fortress, heading down the hall to their rooms. Her eyes glanced up at Malik and she hesitantly asked, "Does Altair hate women, or something?"

Malik looked ahead, unsure of how to answer her. "I can not say little one. Altair is...a stubborn one. He can be difficult to figure out."

She nodded, contemplating his answer, as they passed countless doors. When they reached hers, she looked up and met his gaze.

"Thank you Malik, for walking me to my room," Desert Storm said, smiling softly up at him.

Malik rested his hand on her lower back and returned her smile, placing a small kiss on the top of her head. "It was my pleasure, little one," he whispered tenderly.

He held her gaze, staring into her gray eyes as he leaned forward, until their lips lightly touched. Desert Storm brought her hands up and rested them on his chest, the feel of his rigid chest muscles underneath her palms sending tingles down her spine.

"Don't you have some place to be, Malik?"

They jumped apart quickly, looking around for the source of the voice. Malik's hidden blade shot out, ready to strike the unseen enemy. They sighed with relief when they saw it was Altair, coming out of the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest. Malik retract his blade, brazenly glaring at Altair.

"Yes, I was just heading to my room. Goodnight Desert Storm." Malik smiled softly at her before turning his attention to Altair, giving him a very small nod as he walked off, not waiting to hear his response.

He paused in front of a door just past Desert Storm's room, and turned to look back at them once last time, a small smile on his lips. After a moment, he disappeared inside his room and shut the door softly behind him.

Desert Storm whipped around to stare at Altair, refusing to say anything to the jerk. She opened her door, glancing at him one last time, before starting to close her door in his face.

"If you know what's good for you Novice, you'll stay away from him," Altair hissed into the night, before her door was fully closed.

She shook her head, walking over to her bed and collapsing onto it. She looked up at the ceiling contemplatively, as she tried to fall asleep. Eventually, her eyes drifted shut and her last thought, was that she hoped Altair wouldn't be too harsh on her during training in the coming days.

Desert Storm woke before the sun hit the mountains. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head. She gathered her clothes and walked to her door, pulling it open and looked down, making sure she had everything for her bath. She walked past the many doors that lined the hallway, heading for the bathhouse that were on the grounds.

Because it was so early in the morning, the sun wasn't nearly as hot as she knew it would be later on when they began to train. She passed the oval training grounds, her boots crunching on the gravel and sand. Finally, she came to the wooden hut that served as the fortress' bathing house. When she pulled the rickety door open, a wave of steam came out and blew into her face, the warmth soothing her muscles immediately.

An attendant walked up to her, and offered to hold onto her clothing while she bathed. Desert Storm thanked the woman and after she handed her the pile she'd carried in with her, she padded over to the round wooden tub that was set in the floor, carefully stepping down into the steaming water.

She sank into the water, fully submerging herself. When she rose out of the water again, her hair slicked back, she let out a small sigh as the water washed off the dirt and grime of yesterday's training. She gathered the oils that sat next to the bath and lathered them in her hair, the scent of jasmine and lilies floating throughout the room.

After soaking for what felt like ages, she rinsed off and rose from the bath. The attendant appeared and handed her a white, fluffy towel that she wrapped around her body. Desert Storm wrung the water out of her hair and dried off before turning to the attendant, who had her clothes held out in her hand.

She quickly dressed in her novice robes, ready to head to the training grounds, when her thoughts drifted to Malik and how his hand felt on her lower back. Her cheeks flushed as she thought of how it had felt to be in his arms and to be near him.

She quickly shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts-they wouldn't do any good during her training with Altair. But she still couldn't figure out what Altair had meant when he'd said 'stay away from him'. Was he trying to warn her? Or was he just being an ass?

The wooden beams that made up the fence surrounding the training oval creaked when she leaned on them. Altair would be up soon and ready to train, so she decided to wait for him outside. The sun was beginning to finally peek above the mountains and she stood there, watching it rise.

"Ready, Novice?" Altair asked from behind her. When she turned to face him, his eyes narrowed under his hood in slight anger from last night.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Altair." Desert Storm sighed heavily, not fully ready for the hell storm known as Altair, and his almost deadly training methods.

He nodded and walked off, not caring if she followed or not. He would make her training a lot harder today than it was followed him, her head held high as they hopped over the fence, walking into the center of the training grounds.

She focused solely on Altair as he stood a few feet away, his stance showing an air of intimidation. She knew he was planning a thousand different ways to kill her in just a heartbeat.

She prepared herself for what might come her way,knowing Altair could strike at any moment. She stared at him intently, refusing to take her eyes from him for even a moment.

In a flash, Altair disappeared from her sight and she whipped around as he brought his wooden sword down on her. She parried quickly with her own weapon and leapt backwards, her defensive reflexes at attention.

**Author's note:** well there you have it, another good story thanks to a special friend of mine LILYisatig3r who helped me write most of Chapter 2 and 3 and I can't thank her enough for all her help. Be sure to check out her stories and enjoy them as I have.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Unexpected?**

**Chapter 4**

**Author's note: **Will Desert Storm be able to make Altair see his wrong doings and open his heart? Or will she fail? What will happen between the three? Will they find love in each other, or push each other apart? Only time will tell…..

**Disclaimers: **I do not own Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft does. And it's best I don't own Assassin's Creed nothing good will come out of it if I did own them **(Snickers.) **

Desert Storm faced Altair, panting heavily. She was starting to feel tired from their training. He never once let up and he was making sure she understood that she was not meant to be an Assassin. She growled at him, not letting him have the advantage of attacking her from all sides.

Quickly, she charged at him as Altair stood there, ready for her attack. She quickly jumped into the air, using the sun against him like he had done to her, and brought her sword down, not expecting him to block her attack.

Altair scoffed at the girl before speaking. "If that's all you've got, you're in serious trouble, Novice."

Desert Storm gulped, and her eyes slightly widened in shock. She knew she was royally screwed when it came to Altair. He had more experience in not only hand to hand combat, but sword fighting as well.

She quickly landed on her feet and jumped back from him, a sneer on her lips as she readied her sword. He cracked a rare smile and took a step towards her, forcing her to take a couple steps away from him.

Before she had a chance to react, Altair surged forward, forcing Desert Storm onto her back. A grunt forced its way out of her lips as she looked up at him. If it hadn't been for the situation, it would've seemed as if he were embracing her. Her arms were pinned down by his firm grip, and he was straddling her, his knees on the ground on either side of her thighs. She stared into his golden yellow eyes, glaring up at him.

"Get off me Altair," Desert Storm muttered, turning her face away to hide the blush she felt creeping across her cheeks.

Altair grinned at her and asked, "Why Novice? Never had a man on you before?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she growled at him in anger. She struggled to break free of his grip, and felt her body flush with heat from being so close to Altair. She could see his features clearly, now that their noses were nearly touching.

Altair leaned down, his lips lightly brushing against hers. When a jolt shot through him, he quickly straightened, realizing what he had been about to do. He jumped up, glaring at her in anger, his hands clenching into fists. She sat up on her elbows, staring at him in complete shock and confusion.

"How can you let yourself get distracted like that? You need to concentrate on your training more, Novice," Altair grumbled at her, and very nearly ran out of the training grounds.

She shook her head slowly before sitting up completely. Malik ran over to her and frantically asked, "Storm, are you alright?" His gaze scanned over her quickly, looking for any serious wounds Altair might have inflicted during their training.

"I'm fine Malik, nothing a good warm bath won't fix. And what did you call me?"

Malik flushed slightly as he looked away. "I called you Storm. It's easier to say, should something happen in the middle of a fight or something."

Desert Storm nodded, feeling her cheeks heat up from Malik's tenderness. She looked into his eyes and smiled softly. "Thank you Malik, for helping me all the time," she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It was my pleasure, Storm," Malik replied, smiling back at her.

"Alright, now that's done and over with, let's get something to eat and relax for the rest of the day. How does that sound?" Malik suggested, helping Storm onto her feet.

"Sounds like an excellent idea, Malik. Lead the way, my good friend," Storm answered, looking into his brown eyes. Before they could leave the grounds, someone ran up and grabbed her hood, pulling it down. As it fell and revealed her face, Storm felt the air whoosh out of her lungs.

Malik quickly pulled her hood back up, using his body as a shield to hide her from everyone's view.. He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her with him, as they swiftly ran from the grounds to a tower, where no one would find them.

Malik led her over to the wall and helped her sit down, knowing she was still in shock. Once he made sure she was ok, he started pacing as he tried to figure out why one of their brothers would dehood a fellow assassin like that. Was it some kind of game, or just a cruel prank?

"Malik….why would someone try to do that to me?" She asked in shaky voice, as she tried to process the fact that the entire brotherhood now knew she was a woman.

Malik stopped pacing and turned to face her fully, placing his hands on her shoulders, a frown marring his lips. "I don't know Storm, but we need to be more careful. The whole brotherhood now knows you're a women in assassin gear-they will make things a lot harder for you."

She sighed sadly. "I had a feeling this would happen. Altair will make things far more difficult now as well."

"I'm afraid so Storm. You'll need to be on your guard a lot more than you were before," Malik said as he walked over standing a few feet from the edge, his arms folded behind his back.

She walked up and stood beside him. placing her hand gently on his shoulder. Malik turned to look at her, his eyebrow raised questioningly. Storm gazed up into his warm brown eyes and leaned towards him, her hands resting on his chest, feeling his hard muscles flexing under his shirt. She closed her eyes and breathed in, tasting his sweet breath against her lips as she closed her eyes.

Malik stood there in shock, resting his hands on her hips. He blinked a couple of times, before he realized her eyes were closed expectantly, and he pulled her closer to him. He kissed her softly then, not wanting to push her into something she wasn't ready for.

They had no idea Altair had followed them, after seeing what some novice had done to Desert Storm. He knew he had to follow to make sure she didn't do something stupid. But here he was, watching in jealous rage as she kissed Malik. He warned her to stay away from him and now, he observed from the shadows as she blatantly ignored his warning.

Storm pulled back from the kiss, her cheeks bright red, as she looked into Malik's brown eyes. "We should rest for tomorrow. If I'm right, it will be one hell of a day." Storm said, after she'd quickly broken eye contact, unable to look him in the eyes.

Malik nodded sadly, loving how she felt in his arms. "I suppose you are right."

She smiled reluctantly, leaning away from him with her hands still on his chest. She looked back into his warm brown eyes, sidestepping him so she didn't fall over the edge.

"But Malik thank you for bringing me here, I truly owe you one." Storm muttered shyly, her cheeks still warm.

"It was an honor Storm. Now let's go, before someone comes," he said, chuckling softly.

She nodded, letting him go, not once seeing a pair of yellow eyes watch her every move.

Altair had hid in Storm's room before they had left the tower. He needed to figure out why he was having strange feelings for the woman. He wasn't used to this and it irritated him to no end. He would put an end to it one way or another.

Storm returned to her room, as she took off her outer robes and threw them on her bed. As she stretched her arms over her head to release the tension that had built up in her upper back, she remained completely unaware of Altair's presence in the room.

She walked to her window, and gazed out at the mountains, the gentle smile gracing her lips. Altair crept up on her, his glare intense upon the back of her head and his footsteps silent.

"I thought I told you to stay away from him," he said, his voice tight in anger.

She jumped and whipped around, her heart racing as she spotted Altair. But before she could even speak, she felt herself pinned to the wall as Altair glared angrily at her.

"Why are you spending so much time with him? And why did you kiss him?" he asked, trying to contain his anger.

Her eyes widened in surprise, not expecting Altair to know that she had been with Malik or that she had kissed him. "Why do you care? And why were you watching us kiss?!"

She was livid with him. She couldn't believe he was following her-he had no right.

"Answer me first, Novice!" he yelled, getting up in her face.

"He helped me when some other novice yanked my hood down, and brought me to the tower to help me calm down. I kissed him because I have feelings for him. Now answer _me _Altair, why do you care and why were you watching us?!"

"I have every right to follow you after I saw what happened. I knew you would do something stupid, but I wasn't expecting Malik to be there. I saw both of you heading to the tower and I followed you. If I knew he was going to kiss you, I would have dragged you back to your room. You need to focus _solely _on your training, _not _kissing him," he snarled, as his eyes narrowed. In a sudden and unexpected movement, he leaned in, closing the distance between them, and kissed her.

She stood there, frozen in complete shock. Altair pulled back, realizing a little belatedly, that he had feelings for her. Quickly, he let go of her and ran out of her room, needing to get away from her as fast as possible.

She slumped down the wall, her fingertips on her lips that were still tingling from the feeling of his lips on hers. His lips had been harsh and demanding, but yet held passion in them. She never felt something like this when Malik kissed her. He was more gentle and careful of not wanting to push her into something she didn't want.

But when _Altair _kissed her, he was dominating her soul, her heart and mind. She knew she harbored some feelings for him, but thought they were anger and resentment. Not feelings like the ones she felt now, of love and caring...longing...She felt so confused between to the two and couldn't think.

She got off the floor, her hands shaking slightly from the shock of the kiss. With her mind clouded by a haze of uncertainty, she quickly gathered her clothes and bath oils needed for her bath.

She felt that a bath would help clear her mind since her thoughts were all mudded. She pulled open her door and made sure her hood was up, before leaving her room. Although, it was pointless since everyone now knew she was a , she kept her hood up and closed her door behind her, walking down the hall, heading for the bath house on the grounds.

She quickly reached the bathhouse, and after pushing the door open, she saw the same woman from before who had helped her. She handed her clothes to the woman, and quickly stripped out of her robes, sinking into the warm tub with a sigh. The warmth of the water seeped through her body and she let out another sigh of relief, letting all tension go from the long day.

She still had no idea what to do about Malik or Altair. They were so different; Malik was sweet and caring yet Altair was cold and distant from everyone around him. She figured that maybe Altair was right, that she needed to stay focused on her training than being with Malik.

She quickly shook her head, grabbing the oils and starting to lather her hair with the jasmine scent, before washing her body with lilac. They were her favorite smells that brought peace to her and helped her relax more.

She quickly rinsed off, remaining in the bath to relax a bit more, her thoughts jumping all over the place. She brought her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees, as she thought more of Altair and Malik. They were both handsome and very strong, but she still didn't know what to do about them. She got out of the bath and dried herself off, knowing she was training at first light tomorrow. She gathered her stuff, quickly leaving the bath house and heading right for her room, knowing she would need all the sleep she could get for her training with Altair.

She managed to get to her room without running into anyone, which she couldn't be more grateful for. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts and try to figure out the mess that she'd somehow created with both Assassins.

She took off her robes and threw them at the foot of her bed, sighing heavily as she sat on the edge of the mattress, resting her elbows on her knees and staring at the floor.

She fell back onto her bed, her arms folded under her head as she stared at the ceiling in deep thought. She could still feel Altair's lips on hers. She closed her eyes, hoping to fall into a light sleep and be ready for the next day's training with Altair.

She tossed and turned all night, unable to stop thinking of Altair and the feel of his lips on hers. She sighed sadly and sat up, knowing it was pointless to try to get any sleep. She just couldn't stop thinking of the deadly Assassin. He was strong, that much she knew. Even though no one was able to get close enough to see his face, _she_ had, and she knew with certainty that he was as handsome as he was deadly. A shiver ran down her back and she fought to suppress her reaction to him.

She turned and faced the wall, placing her hand on it, knowing Altair's room was just on the other side. She wanted to ask him why he had kissed her. However, she knew it was pointless to try to talk to him, he would only get mad and slam the door in her face. She shook her head, giving up on that idea, and closed her eyes, finally falling into a light sleep.

On the other side of the wall, Altair sat in the window sill in deep thought. He couldn't believe that, in the heat of the moment, he'd kissed her. He prided himself on being in control of his actions and his emotions, and the kiss had been brash. In addition to his supposed 'feelings' for her, Storm was a woman who had nearly as much skill as he did. She was aiming to become a master assassin and he was her teacher; the kiss had been even more inappropriate in hindsight because of that.

He closed his eyes, remembering the feel of her sweet, soft lips against his. As he thought about how to train the novice in the morning, a smirk teased at his lips. The amusement disappeared almost instantly though, as he began to question why someone as beautiful as Storm would want someone like him; he had scars all over his body and one that ran across his lips, stretching from top to bottom. Though many have never seen his face, he knew she had, and wondered how she could find it even remotely attractive. Quickly, he shook his head, taking off his robes as he laid down to get some rest before the sun rose over the mountains.

He fell into a light sleep, holding his pillow close to his chest, secretly wishing it was Storm he was holding in his arms. But he would never actually admit to having feelings for Storm, even if he was tied to a chair and tortured to no end.

Storm woke up before the sun rose, stretching her arms over her head. The sound of the pressure in her back being released echoed throughout the room and she sighed in contentment at the feeling. She looked out the window with a smile on her lips. She was looking forward to training today; she loved training, it taught her something new and helped her become stronger, faster, more agile then she was before.

Storm arrived at the grounds before Altair, and leaned against the wall as she waited for him to show up. In the distance, she spotted Altair approaching and she stood fully, ready to begin her training. When he passed her, she pushed off the wall and walked beside him, and they entered the ring together. Storm tried to stay calm and concentrated on steadying her breathing. This was not the time or place to have her emotions running amok. She was training to become a Master Assassin, and could not afford any mistakes.

Just as they were about to start, Al Mualim interrupted, approaching the fence that surrounded the training grounds. He stepped through the gap and walked straight for Storm, his face stern. "Altair, I will be training Desert Storm today. I need to see if she's as good as I've been hearing," Al Mualim stated, standing before Desert Storm.

Altair looked at Al Mualim and Storm in horror, he knew she wouldn't be able to handle Al Mualim on her own.

**Author's note:** Well I hope everyone enjoyed it, I will be updating maybe 2 to 3 times a month just depends on how busy I get. And do thank you my Co-Author she has been a big help in helping me write this all out. Make sure you send her your thanks her profile address is in the last chapter at the bottom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Help Me!**

**Chapter 5**

**Author's Note: **Desert Storm now has two men wanting her, what will happen now that is she forced to focus more on her training? Will she push Malik away or will he make her see that he's the one for her? And what of Altair? Will he be able to admit he's falling for her or will he doom her? Only one way to find out….

**Disclaimers: **I do NOT own Assassin's Creed,only Ubisoft does although I wish I did (Snicker's) Now without further ado on with the story…

Storm was in shock. She thought she would be training with Altair, not the Mentor of the Brotherhood. Feeling like she was screwed in more ways than one, she summoned her courage and stood before him, ready for anything he may throw at her.

Storm knew he was a mentor for a reason, and could use anything to his advantage should he wish to; whether it was to cause harmful damage or just to wound her slightly. Confidently, she shifted into the stance that Altair had taught her, not risking any open spots.

Storm's face was void of all emotion, not wanting to give anything away. She charged at Al Mualim and brought her wooden sword down over her head to strike. What she wasn't expecting, was Al Mualim stopping her sword from making contact. Her eyes widened in shock and confusion, as she quickly jumped back a couple feet. She readied her sword for his attack once more.

They circled each other again, and for every sidestep Al Mualim took, Storm reflected that with her own. The sun glinted off of Al Mualim's arm bracer and Storm shielded her eyes with her hand. In the one moment it took for her to do so, Al Mualim had rushed forward. At the last minute, she reflexively brought her sword up, unsure of which direction he would attack from. Since the sun had stolen her advantage, she kept her ears open for the sound of any steps that Al Mualim might take. She couldn't afford to lose this fight, not when the entire brotherhood was watching.

As her eyes followed her opponent's movements, her mind raced to think of all the possible routes he could take, or that he could use to bring her to her knees, forcing her to admit defeat. She knew deep in her heart that she would never do that, not to someone who would force such a thing on another human being. She would fight until there wasn't an ounce of strength left in her body.

With sweat dripping down her forehead and neck, she charged at Al Mualim, preparing to strike. She figured that he would more than likely block her attack, and that she needed to have a quick counter attack ready, should she fail to hit him with the sword.

Al Mualim saw her sword coming straight for his head and quickly brought his up, intending to parry. At the last second, Storm twisted her body around and swung her sword out to the side instead, catching Al Mualim off guard. Storm put all of her body weight into the blow and was able to knock Al Mualim onto his back. Quickly, she grabbed a handful of dirt from the training ground's surface, and threw it into their mentor's eyes. He was momentarily blinded, and as he rubbed at his eyelids, Storm swiftly brought her sword to his neck, placing it firmly against his carotid artery. Al Mualim froze, looking down at Storm in a mixture of awe and disappointment. She smirked up at him, knowing that she'd won for now, since he was forced to admit defeat.

Malik had been watching the whole time, having never seen a woman fight with strength or speed before. He quickly made his way over to her, looking her over to make sure she was okay. "Storm, what are you thinking? You could have been hurt and that's not how we Assassins fight. I can't believe you fought dirty against our Mentor! You should've fought with more honor than that," Malik reprimanded her.

Storm stood there, shock and disbelief on her face, not expecting Malik to reprimand her like that. "Malik you have no right to reprimand me, I was doing what I needed to do, to win this fight. Sometimes, you have no choice but to fight dirty," she said in a deathly calm voice, not showing how hurt and mad she truly was with the man.

She remembered what Altair had told her; that she needed to focus on her training and not on Malik. She knew this could hurt him but it had to be done. She had to become an assassin to become stronger and faster, if she wanted to make it in a man's world.

Malik just stood there, not expecting her response to be so...angry. He had no idea that she would react that way to his statement; she was stronger and far more headstrong than any other woman he knew. Altair had been watching off to the side, glaring at Malik for standing too close to Desert Storm. Swiftly, he stalked over; he needed to intervene before things got too heated between them. Altair was proud that she stood up for herself but she couldn't risk it, not when their Mentor finally got off the ground, dusting himself off.

Al Mualim furiously stomped over to Malik and Storm. "I must say Desert Storm, that I am impressed, but also _very_ disappointed in you. I would never expect my assassins to fight with such dirty moves, and I think it's time we upped your training more. You have real potential to become a Master Assassin but you need to fight with honor, not like this."

Storm hung her head in shame, her gaze focused solely on the ground. She refused to meet anyone's gaze; she knew Al Mualim was right. In order for her to become a better fighter and show everyone she wasn't some weak minded woman, she needed to stick to the Creed. "Yes Master, I will do better from now on. I will continue my training and I'll be ready for the next time," she said, looking up at him.

Al Mualim nodded, seeing that she intended on being true to her word. "I expect to hear sometime soon, that you have improved in your training." With that final word, he turned and left them be for now, expecting to hear good news on Desert Storm's training in the coming days.

Storm looked to her left, not wanting to meet Malik's or Altair's gaze. She knew that one, if not both of them, wanted to talk to her.

"Storm...could we talk for a few minutes?" Malik asked gently, grabbing her forearm in an attempt to indicate that he wanted to speak to her alone.

Storm glanced at Malik, sighing lightly. When she replied, she still avoided meeting his gaze. "What is it, Malik?"

"Can we talk in private? Please?" he asked, almost pleading with her.

"I'd rather not, Malik," she said, her gaze focused solely on the far wall.

Malik stood there, not sure what to make of her response. He didn't know what he did to make her upset. As far as he knew, he had been gentle and kind to her, unlike how Altair had been treating her.

Malik looked to the left, thinking maybe it was Altair that was forcing her to do this. He turned to the other man, who was glaring heatedly back at him. With irritation, he accused, "This is your doing, isn't it Altair?"

"I did no such thing. Maybe the novice is finally doing something right. She needs to focus on her training, not on letting you get into her bed," Altair sneered at Malik.

Malik was dumbfounded, he never expected Altair to say such a thing. He sneered back at Altair and spoke, "I would never do such a vulgar thing, I actually want to be in a _relationship_ with her. Show her the love and care that she truly deserves, not the barbic relationship that _you_ have with other women, Altair."

Altair snorted at the thought. Sure, he had a few barbaric one nights excursions, but they never lasted beyond that. He made it a point to ensure that he was gone before the sun even rose, and now that he wanted something real-something true-he wasn't going to let it go; even if it meant fighting one of his brothers.

"ENOUGH!" Storm yelled, glaring at both men. Frankly, she was not in the mood to deal with their childish ways. "I am well aware of the fact that my training takes precedence over all other matters. More than either of you, honestly. I plan on focusing on it, trust me. For now though, I am going to go to my room and get some much needed rest. I am sorry Malik, but this truly is important to me."

She walked over to Malik and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes as she leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Smiling sadly when she pulled back knowing she was hurting him this way "I'm truly sorry Malik, but this is very important me. Maybe once I finish my training, you can court me. Until then, I must focus," she explained softly, taking a couple steps back from him.

She turned and walked off of the training grounds, heading for her room, in need of some rest before tomorrow. She would be training harder than she ever had before. She _would not_ fail in this; she needed to prove she was something more than just an everyday woman who couldn't fend for herself.

Malik watched her walk off, wanting to say more but couldn't; he knew she was right. This was important to her, and he would court her once she finished her training, like she said. He wouldn't let Altair get in the way of winning her heart.

Malik looked over to Altair, and saw the smirk on the other man's face. "If you think you won Altair, you're sadly mistaken. I will win Storm over and she will be mine," he replied, smiling darkly at Altair.

Altair snorted at Malik's words. "Please, we both heard her. She doesn't want to be courted. She wants to focus solely on her training, not having some man getting her into bed."

Malik narrowed his eyes at Altair, holding the other man's golden gaze for a minute too long; far too long to be considered a comfortable amount of time. Silently, he turned and broke eye contact, heading for the mess hall to grab a meal. Now, he knew for certain that Altair also had his sights set on Storm, which made him Malik's competition.

**Author's Note:** Well there you have it folks I truly hope you like it, feel free to leave comments I enjoy hearing from everyone, Chapter 6 might take a while but I promise I will have it up as soon as I can. I'm a little busy right now so my chapters might be a slow on updating them.


End file.
